Bramwell’s Helicopter Dynamics
Bramwell’s
Helicopter Dynamics
Second edition
A. R. S. Bramwell
George Done
David Balmford
Oxford Auckland Boston Johannesburg Melbourne New Delhi
Butterworth-Heinemann
Linacre House, Jordan Hill, Oxford OX2 8DP
225 Wildwood Avenue, Woburn, MA 01801-2041
A division of Reed Educational and Professional Publishing Ltd
A member of the Reed Elsevier plc group
First published by Edward Arnold (Publishers) Ltd 1976
Second edition published by Butterworth-Heinemann 2001
© A. R. S. Bramwell, George Done and David Balmford 2001
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in
any material form (including photocopying or storing in any medium by
electronic means and whether or not transiently or incidentally to some
other use of this publication) without the written permission of the
copyright holder except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright,
Designs and Patents Act 1988 or under the terms of a licence issued by the
Copyright Licensing Agency Ltd, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London,
England W1P OLP. Applications for the copyright holder’s written
permission to reproduce any part of this publication should be
addressed to the publishers
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Bramwell, A.R.S.
Bramwell’s helicopter dynamics. – 2nd ed.
1 Helicopters – Aerodynamics
I Title II Done, George III Balmford, David IV Helicopter
dynamics
629.1′33352
Library of Congress Cataloguing in Publication Data
Bramwell, A.R.S.
Bramwell’s helicopter dynamics / A.R.S. Bramwell, George Done,
David Balmford.
–2nd ed.
p. cm.
Rev. ed. of: Helicopter dynamics. c1976
Includes index
ISBN 0 7506 5075 3
1 Helicopter–Dynamics 2 Helicopters–Aerodynamics I Done, George Taylor
Sutton II Balmford, David III Bramwell, A.R.S. Helicopter dynamics
IV Title
TL716.B664 2001
629.133′352--dc21 00-049381
ISBN 0 7506 5075 3
Typeset at Replika Press Pvt Ltd, 100% EOU, Delhi 110 040, India
Printed and bound in Great Britain by Bath Press, Avon.
Contents
Preface to the second edition vii
Preface to the first edition ix
Acknowledgements xi
Notation xiii
1. Basic mechanics of rotor systems and helicopter flight 1
2. Rotor aerodynamics in axial flight 33
3. Rotor aerodynamics and dynamics in forward flight 77
4. Trim and performance in axial and forward flight 115
5. Flight dynamics and control 137
6. Rotor aerodynamics in forward flight 196
7. Structural dynamics of elastic blades 238
8. Rotor induced vibration 290
9. Aeroelastic and aeromechanical behaviour 319
Appendices 360
Index 371
Preface to the second edition
At the time of publication of the first edition of the book in 1976, Bramwell’s
Helicopter Dynamics was a unique addition to the fundamental knowledge of dynamics
of rotorcraft due to its coverage in a single volume of subjects ranging from
aerodynamics, through flight dynamics to vibrational dynamics and aeroelasticity. It
proved to be popular, and the first edition sold out relatively quickly. Unfortunately,
before the book could be revised with a view to producing a second edition, Bram (as
he was known to his friends and colleagues) succumbed to a short illness and died.
As well as leaving a sudden space in the helicopter world, his death left the publishers
with their desire for further editions unfulfilled. Following an approach from the
publishers, the present authors agreed, with considerable trepidation, to undertake
the task of producing a second edition.
Indeed, being asked was an honour, particularly so for one of us (GD), since we
had been colleagues together at City University for a short period of two years.
However, although it may be one thing to produce a book from one’s own lecture
notes and published papers, it is entirely a different proposition to do the same when
the original material is not your own, as we were to discover. It was necessary to try
to understand why Bram’s book was so popular with the helicopter fraternity, in
order that any revisions should not destroy any of the vital qualities in this regard.
One of the characteristics that we felt endeared the book to its followers was the way
explanations of what are complicated phenomena were established from fundamental
laws and simple assumptions. Theoretical expressions were developed from the basic
mathematics in a straightforward and measured style that was particular to Bram’s
way of thinking and writing. We positively wished and endeavoured to retain his
　
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